


The Pitch

by ChickenLoMein



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Doctor/Patient, F/F, Fluff, Slow Burn, Soccer AU, Wayhaught - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-06-19 15:14:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15512622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChickenLoMein/pseuds/ChickenLoMein
Summary: Waverly is about to start her first day as the team doctor for the Canada Women's National Soccer Team. She knows she'll have her work cut out for her since the team is going to the FIFA World Cup this year. Then her workload gets a bit heavier when she finds out she is personally responsible for the recovery of the star player.Nicole just wants to get back in the game after being out for six months recovering from ACL surgery. This World Cup needs to count since it could very well be her last.





	1. All My Stars Aligned

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all, thanks for checking out the fic. Just have a few quick notes for you. First thing, I had no knowledge of sports medicine or soccer when I first started this, but I did a lot of research to make up for it. Just bear with me. For anyone else that isn't familiar with soccer, the pitch is lingo for playing field, so that's where the name came from. All of the chapter titles are songs by queer artists. I might make a playlist at some point. Feel free to comment or give suggestions. Updates will be every few weeks. All chapters will have any warning tags if they need them. Finally, I'd like to thank Ciara, Danyel, Laura, and Lindsay for all their help with this fic. I couldn't have done it without them. I hope you enjoy :)

Waverly woke up at the exact second the alarm went off, already buzzing with excitement and humming the notes to Take a Chance on Me as she strutted past the living room and into the kitchen. “Alexa, play ‘my jams’ playlist.” Then the song in her head started resonating throughout the apartment. The tiny brunette turned on the kettle to heat some water for tea while the first song faded into the next. 

She was quite a sight in the early morning. Loose flowing curls cascaded over toned shoulders and back muscles, which were partially covered with a tight grey tank top. The hair was so long, it brushed against the waistline of some black shorts while the woman danced through her morning routine. However, Waverly was a more amped up today than normal, glowing even. While pouring steaming water into a mug with a green tea bag she smiled wider at the familiar herbal smell.

Jumping in the shower while the tea steeped, Waves went about the typical routine. The small woman washed her hair, shaved, and used a caffeinated sugar scrub to exfoliate her entire body, singing through it all. Turning off the facet and stepping out into the steam-filled washroom, Waverly wrapped herself and hair in two towels. She brushed a hand across the mirror, clearing up the reflection and revealing a bright smile. It was the kind of smile that combines with a glint in the eyes. It was so genuine and warm it could bring similar looks to a room full of strangers. Some crinkles around the eyes and laugh lines showed it had been at home on the beautiful brunette’s face for quite some time.

Waverly proceeded to sing while brushing her teeth, which didn’t sound great, but any sane person would find it endearing. Suddenly a rather melancholy string of piano notes started playing over the speakers, so Waverly ran out into the living room. “Alexa, STOP! Skip this song please!”

“Jesus Waves,” Wynonna interjected in a grumpy voice causing Waverly to jump. “First you're rummaging around through the kitchen and blasting music. Then you come out here and start yelling. It’s 6:00 am and I’m trying to fucking sleep.” The lump rolled over and remained underneath a blanket on the couch, practically growling.

“Oh my god Wynonna, you nearly scared the bejesus out of me,” Waverly said exasperatedly after pulling the toothbrush from her mouth.

Wynonna popped out from under the blanket. “Awe, that’s so sad. Alexa, play despacito.”

Waverly sighed, “Alexa, stop music,” and then her eyebrows furrowed, suddenly confused. “Nonna, why are you sleeping on the couch when you have a bed in the next room?” Pointing toward a door opposite her own room she continued, “I know you hardly ever sleep here, but I didn’t think you’d forget.”

Wynonna stood up and walked past Waverly and around the counter to get into the kitchen. “I was drunk. Couldn’t make it that far.” She shrugged, pouring herself some day-old coffee, and placing the mug in the microwave for a minute. Grabbing a pack of mini-donuts out of the cupboard as customary, the taller woman turned to look at her sister as she shoved the first donut into her mouth. They fell into comfortable silence after that, accepting Wynonna’s drunk stumble in and the decision to sleep on the couch as something entirely expected. Waverly started brushing her teeth again and headed back to the bathroom.

After flossing and rinsing with some mouthwash the small brunette let her hair down and blew it out with a hairdryer. Satisfied with her appearance she hung the towels back up and walked out into her room. Waverly smiled immediately upon noticing the steaming green tea sitting on her desk. She knew Wynonna must have put it there. It felt like a gesture of goodwill like she was wishing her sister good luck on her first day at a new job without saying it. Looking to the right of the mug and seeing it was 6:45 she panicked a little. Though still having fifteen minutes until she planned on leaving (and the planned time being thirty minutes earlier than it needed to be) she was worried about being late. One could never know if there might be an accident on the freeway or something and she wanted to be prepared for anything. Luckily, part of that preparedness meant she already had her clothes for the day ironed and hanging in the walk in. She pulled on some light gray slacks and a maroon button up. After tucking the shirt in and putting on a black leather belt and socks, Waverly slipped on some matching black boots with a sensible heel. She grabbed the silver banded watch Wynonna had given her after acing the MCAT. A quick glance in the full body mirror at the end of the closet left her content, so she exited quickly and picked up the tea off the desk. Taking a long swig while opening the bedroom door, the hot liquid warmed her chest. The young woman had always run cold. She even used at least four blankets every night to keep warm. 

Waverly re-entered the living room and walked over to the breakfast bar, where Wynonna was reading the paper. She sat and finished her tea till looking up at the clock to read 6:56. Getting up the smaller woman gave her sister a quick squeeze, put her mug in the sink, and grabbed her lunch bag from the fridge and a premade smoothie for breakfast. “Bye Nonna, I love you.”

Shutting the door behind herself, Waverly headed down the hall to the staircase. She was a firm believer in taking the stairs as much as possible. While descending the steps she suddenly thought, ‘ _ where the hell did Nonna get a newspaper?’ _ After reaching the bottom she pulled out her phone and shot Wynonna a quick text, ‘You better give my neighbor that stolen newspaper back when you’re done with it.’ To which her sister replied with, ‘;;;)’. It was typical and made her laugh while climbing into the car. She turned the key and the dashboard lit up, reading 7:00 am. Waverly was good at a lot of things, and keeping to a schedule was one of them, especially on the day she was supposed to start her dream job as team doctor for the Women’s National Soccer Team. 

* * *

Waverly pulled into the massive empty parking lot of the stadium, whispering reassurances to herself. “I’ve got this. I have been working towards this since high school. I am perfect for this job.” She sat in the car for a few more moments while doing some deep breathing. Once the clock hit 7:30 she shut off the car and stepped outside into the brisk morning air.

BMO Stadium was enormously beautiful and just enormous in general. The way the building’s edges curved reminded Waverly of looking at the horizon. She knew it went on forever even though she couldn’t see everything. It was so excessive that the building seemed very American to the young woman. Kind of like a football stadium, except this place was for real football. She took it all in; the building, the sun’s position in the sky, and the feeling of being all alone but being content with it. This was the first day of the rest of her life and at that moment, she took the first step towards her future.

Upon typing in her new employee ID number and password, Waverly entered the building and inhaled deeply. The smell of clean air and light chemicals took over her senses. Then, the second shock to her system came as eyes noticed the vast entry hall, completely desolate. It felt odd being inside a stadium without a buzzing crowd and hundreds of people’s voices carrying through the air. Looking at her silver watch she saw she still had about twenty-five minutes until she was supposed to meet with the team administrator. So, she set an alarm on her phone for 7:55 and set out towards the field.

After taking the stairs down to the basement level for employees, Waverly took the long hallway, turned at the first right following that hall down to the field entrance and emerged out from under the stadium seats onto the pitch. It was as gorgeous and green as she remembered. The sun peeked out from over the top of the stadium and caused the dewy grass to glisten. She had not been this close to the playing field since Wynonna got hit in a championship game her sophomore year of college. It was that femur break and the compassionate doctor who helped her sister that inspired Waverly to get into sports medicine. Well, that plus some girls on her high school cheer squad suffering from concussions and sprains around the same time. Although Wynonna never properly recovered, and her sister knew it wasn’t the doctor's fault. She wanted to prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else. Not only did she want to heal people, she wanted to inspire them not to give up on recovery. Waverly reflected on her motives while sitting on the bench until her phone started ringing. It was time for her first day to officially start.

* * *

The small brunette walked back into the entry hall just as the team administrator entered the building. They smiled and walked towards each other, reaching out to shake hands. “Hi! I’m Waverly Earp. Are you the administrator I’m supposed to be meeting?” She smiled wider as she took in the man’s black Stetson, floral button up, gray vest, black belt, gray slacks, and black wingtips. Admiring the color coordination of his accessories and the nice quality of the suit, Waverly nodded with approval.

“It is very nice to meet you, Ms. Earp. My name is John Henry Holliday, but you can call me Henry. We are pleased to have you joining us. How about I show you around your new place of employment?”

“That would be wonderful, thank you.” Waverly hesitated for a moment, she could tell he was a traditional man, but went ahead. “And you can call me Waverly.”

“Of course,” Henry replied with a devilish smile, a dark mustache covering his upper lip, “Waverly.”

He showed her around the first level: guest entry, concessions, the works. They moved onto the basement, where the magic happens. Following the same way Waverly had gone earlier, they walked down a long hallway, turned right and came upon a door at the end before the hall forked off into the locker room and out to the field. Henry stopped them by announcing, “The locker room is over here, and this is your office.”

Waverly could not contain her excitement. She was practically jumping up and down. The room had a window facing them and another on the side running along the field hallway. “Really? Right next to the lockers and the field entrance? This is a dream come true!”

Henry smiled back at her. The joy radiating from the young woman was contagious. “Would you like to see the inside of your office, Doctor Waverly?” She was through the door quicker than Barry Allen. Her smile somehow grew larger then as she took in a beautiful desk with a computer and a small box wrapped in red ribbon sitting atop it. The two back corners also had some file cabinets, but Waverly hardly noticed.

“This is for me?” She asked though it wasn’t obvious.

“Yes Waverly, go ahead and open it. I think you are going to like it.” Henry watched as she moved around the desk and he sat in a guest chair. She set her lunch bag down and slowly pulled the ribbon away. Originally opening the box with a curious expression, Waverly’s face turned back to excitement. The bright smile returned accompanied by some watery eyes. The small woman was clearly touched by the sentiment. She pulled out a small name placard engraved with ‘Waverly Earp, M.D., O.S.M.’ on the first line and ‘Team Doctor’ centered below it.

“Thank you so much. I don’t just like it, I love it.” Waverly beamed a smile at Henry. There was a genuine connection between them that felt very familial. She walked around the desk, gave him another quick smile, and walked out. Turning on her heel, she flipped around to face the slot next to her office door and slid the placard into its spot. “Perfect.” She went back into her office and sat down behind the desk, opposite Henry.

“Alright, so now that you are familiar with the facility and your office, we can run through your responsibilities. In your desk, you will have everything you need. There is your retractable ID badge and key card, which will give you access to every room in the building. Here is a key to your office and another key for the filing cabinets. You do not have to lock the door but be sure to keep the cabinets secure. They have hard copies of every player’s medical files. I recommend putting the keys on the ring with your badge. You have an iPad with state-of-the-art software. It will let you look up the player profiles with entire medical histories and updated the files. Any updates need to be printed and added to the hard copies at the end of the week. Make sure to log the update too. The iPad also has a linked calendar of your schedule and the team schedule. The coach will update that at random, so make sure to check it every day. You will be administering physicals and monitoring the training and recovery of every player. We have issued you a work email and temporary password that links your iPad and desktop computer. Please link that with your cell phone too. There will be software tutorials when you open the devices for the first time and you can access those tutorials any time in the future by using the link in your welcome email, so be sure to archive that. You are on salary, so you do not have to be here every day, but you should come in Monday through Friday and are of course required to attend mandatory practices and games. Most of the team faculty and any players are usually here between 8 am and 5 pm. As far as breaks or anything like that, they are taken on your whim. If you are ever unable to come in, just notify myself or Coach Dolls. I also left copies of all the team faculty member’s business cards in your desk, so program those into your phone as soon as possible. Then send me a quick text and I will add you to the group message. Any sudden updates will be sent there. Questions so far?”

Waverly blinked a couple times but seemed to take everything in stride. She had already clipped the badge to her belt and hooked the office key to it. “Everything makes sense so far. Do you know when I’ll be meeting Coach Dolls?”

Henry smiled at her, rather impressed. “You have a great memory. I had to type all that out and practice it in the mirror. I did leave of copy in your desk as well, though I am sure you will not need it. Dolls will be around, you will run into him soon enough. Though you probably will not see much of anyone this first week. A lot of the team staff does not come in till midway through March. Plus, mandatory team practice does not start till six weeks before the first World Cup game. Now on to your number one priority.” Waverly gave the mustached man and inquisitive look at that statement. What could possibly be more important than monitoring the entire team's health? She opened the desk drawer and pulled out the printed paper of responsibilities. Scanning the list, the young girl’s eyes landed her number one priority just as it left Henry’s mouth. “You will be personally overseeing the recovery of our star player, Nicole Haught.” Waverly looked up to meet the administrator’s eyes. “Nicole tore her ACL last August and had surgery that same month, so she will only be playing for the National team this year.”

Waverly would have done a spit take at that if she was drinking anything. “August? That’s like six months ago! No one recovers from ACL reconstruction that quickly. She shouldn’t be playing in the 2019 season at all.”

“Nicole says she is ready and her physical therapist cleared her. You are going to be the one treating her now, so it is your responsibility to monitor her recovery. We want to make sure she does not push herself too hard, but it is very important she makes it to the Cup. This is going to bring her and the team some much-needed publicity. So, take this week to design a personal training plan. Nicole is going to be here next Monday.”

Waverly didn’t think it was wise to have someone recently recovering from ACL surgery training for the FIFA World Cup but could tell there was no arguing. She would have her work cut out for her. “Alright, I’ll do everything I can.”

Henry showed her around the rest of the basement level. Waverly was particularly impressed with the large physical therapy room on the other side of her office. The administrator told her she wouldn’t be using it very much till May since most players were occupied with their club schedules till then, but the small brunette was still excited. Plus, if Nicole Haught was as arrogant as the rumors suggested she would probably be using it more than Henry thought. Players who are full of themselves tend to sustain more completely preventable injuries. This was going to be an interesting few months.

After finishing the orientation, Henry walked Waverly back to her office and gave her a quick smile. “Feel free to decorate. The last team doctor had a couch.” With that he left, and she got to work learning everything. She completed the tutorials, programmed staff numbers into her phone, updated her passwords, and linked everything within a few hours. After looking at her watch and realizing it was noon, Waverly decided to take a break. She moved her lunch bag from the corner of the desk and placed it in front of herself. Removing a few containers and popping them open revealed a chicken lettuce wrap, baby carrots with roasted red pepper hummus, and some granola bites. Turning on a playlist and eating slowly, the brunette mindlessly scrolled through some news articles. Then curiosity got the best of her and she pulled the iPad back out from the desk. Unlocking it, she clicked on the player directory and scrolled down to Nicole Haught. After clicking on the desired player profile Waverly’s pupils widened a bit. ‘ _ Oh god, she’s really pretty.’ _

* * *

__

Waverly had spent the last week familiarizing herself with the new workplace, decorating her office, and coming up with a training plan for Nicole Haught after looking over the woman’s file and speaking to her previous physical therapist. That conversation, however, had the brunette even more worried. Apparently, Nicole was stubborn and a bit hostile. Though Waverly was sure it was an aftereffect of the injury, she still wasn’t exceptionally excited at the prospect of trying to help someone who didn’t want help.

Despite her wariness, the young woman showed up at the stadium thirty minutes before 8:00. Nicole was supposed to be there then for a check-up and to go over the new training plan. To Waverly’s surprise, the stadium was bustling with activity when she arrived. It seemed quite a few people wanted to get in a little early on the first official day of the season. While her first thought was excitement at the possibility of meeting some team and crew members, perhaps even the allusive coach, her second thought elicited some anxiety. ‘ _ Oh no, what if Nicole is already here? I hope she hasn’t been waiting very long. God, this is going to be a terrible first impression.’  _ So, she ran as quickly as she could to the employee stairwell, descended to the basement level, and went down the long hallway. Upon taking the first right she slowed a little and exhaled in relief that no one was waiting in front of her office door. After checking the locker room and the field as well, Waverly was satisfied that the woman must not have come in yet.

She returned to her office door and unlocked it. This was her first time walking into the completely decorated room, the couch she ordered having been delivered over the weekend. She had picked it special because the deep red-brown mahogany legs of the couch matched her desk. Plus, she loved the contrast of the navy-blue cushions. Waverly sat down and the stress in her shoulders released immediately at the comfiness. “I’m gonna be taking a lot of naps on you,” the small woman said as she rubbed circles on the cushions. She got up and opened all the blinds, so she could see when Nicole arrived. Sitting at her desk the clock revealed it was 7:45. There were only fifteen minutes until what could possibly be one of the most important moments of her life.

* * *

Well, it was now 9:15 and Waverly was irritated, to say the least. She had been waiting for over an hour for this girl to show up. The experience felt rather high school if she was being honest with herself. The brunette had kept busy with training plans, but she kept glancing out her window expecting to see Nicole any minute. Eventually, she gave up and fully focused on her work.

Just then a flash of red hair zoomed past Waverly’s window. A little confused as to why Nicole did not stop at her office, the younger woman gathered up her things and headed to the locker room. The fiery-haired girl was already in her underwear, causing the brunette to swallow hard while the other girl started frantically putting on her uniform. “Hey, I’m Waverly, the new team doctor. We’re supposed to do a physical and go over your training plan this morning. Did you get my email?”

Nicole pulled on her cleats and without looking up said, “Sorry, I don’t have time. Gotta get on the field.” The redhead stood and walked past Waverly without so much as a glance, exiting the locker room.

“Well, this isn’t going to end well,” the young doctor said aloud to herself. Waverly walked past her office into the physical therapy room to grab a med kit. Stopping briefly in her office as well to put her iPad and a few things into her briefcase so it would be easier to carry, Waverly headed out towards the field.

After emerging onto the field and sitting on the bench, Waverly was surprised to see that Nicole was just working on fundamentals. While the short amount of time since the locker room indicated the soccer star hadn’t stretched, she was relieved to see that the woman wasn’t overexerting herself. A little farther down the field, Waverly noticed a smaller man putting out some cones next to the goal. He was wearing blue jeans and a green t-shirt, very casually cute. She could see a smile on his face from where she sat and looked forward to introducing herself later. Then the brunette’s eyes were pulled away by a miniscule twinge of Nicole’s knee while she was working on shielding. ‘ _ Here it comes, _ ’ Waverly thought.

Nicole shook out her leg and called over to the man, “Are the cones ready Jeremy?”

“Uh, yeah. We’re good to go,” Jeremy replied as he placed the final cone. Nicole started running drills, increasing speed as she went. Jogging back down to the beginning of the line, the redhead began dribbling the ball between the cones at a very impressive speed. Halfway through her knee gave out and she hit the ground rather hard. Waverly came running out onto the field with the med kit.

The doctor hesitated for a second and then asked, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine. My knee just locked up for a second and I wasn’t expecting it,” Nicole replied without looking up.

“Well, I was expecting it and that’s what I wanted to talk about earlier before you ran away.” Nicole looked up, a little surprised that someone would call her out. The soccer player was about to get defensive, but couldn’t help but smile as her eyes met Waverly’s.

“Yeah, um, sorry about that.” Nicole stood up and reached out a hand. “It’s Waverly, right?” The brunette shook her hand briefly and let go.

“Doctor Waverly Earp, and as your doctor, the first thing I’ll be prescribing is an ice bath. It should help your knee and that attitude.” She paused, “Hopefully it will also encourage you to listen next time.” The younger woman started walking back towards the locker room with Nicole a few paces behind her.

“You know, I  _ was _ listening. I just didn’t give you a chance to finish speaking,” Nicole retorted as she jogged up next to Waverly. Then she flashed the other woman a dimpled grin.

“Whatever you say, superstar,” Waverly quipped, inducing a laugh from Nicole as they continued toward the locker room. After they got to the physical therapy room, the brunette set up an ice bath. “Okay, do this for fifteen minutes and then you can take a shower. Please be careful with the temperature though, you wouldn’t want to burn yourself by accident.”

“Waverly Earp are you worried about me?” Nicole smirked making the dimple on her right cheek deepen.

“No,” the young doctor replied a bit flustered. “Anyways, I’m going to grab us lunch. Meet me in my office after you’re done?”

“Sure thing,” the redhead responded with an amused tone.

* * *

After the ice bath, Nicole took a quick shower to warm up and changed back into her regular clothes. After that she headed to Waverly’s office and took a seat in front of the desk. As the redhead waited she took in the office. The amount of decor suggested that the room had belonged to someone for a long time. Nicole knew that it hadn’t of course but could not help but feel like she had entered a cozy den. All that was left over from the previous year was the mahogany desk and gray file cabinets. Waverly had bought a nice black leather desk chair and two smaller black chairs for guests. There was a comfy looking blue couch and a mini fridge with a lamp on top next to the door as well. What stood out the most, however, were the pictures coating the walls. Waverly was glowing in every photo displayed throughout the room. On the left wall, there were a lot of pictures of Waverly and what was probably her family. The largest picture on that wall was of the doctor in a cheerleading uniform and a tall pretty brunette wearing a full kit and holding a soccer ball. Framed degrees from the University of Toronto and John Hopkins University were on the back wall amongst a picture of Waverly on the cover of a surgical magazine, some published articles, and a few awards. The final wall had tons of pictures from various travels. Waverly smiled at Nicole from the entrance of a Mayan temple, a kayak on the Grand Canyon rapids, and the top of an elephant in South Africa.

The soccer player started to understand the feeling she got when looking into Waverly’s eyes for the first time. The brunette was an old soul despite seeming young and naive. Her enthusiasm was not from having it easy, it was from a genuine love for humanity and life. Nicole didn’t understand why she was drawn to Waverly before, but she understood it now. The new doctor had depths that she would be interested in exploring.

Just then, the door opened and Waverly entered holding a bag. “I hope you weren’t waiting too long,” she said apologetically.

Nicole recovered quickly from the sudden interruption of thought, giving Waverly a tight smile. “Nah, just a few minutes. Definitely worth the free food.”

“Sweet! I got us some sandwiches. Do you like pickles?” Waverly asked while moving around the desk to take a seat in her chair.

The redhead faked a smile, “I love ‘em.”

“Great, me too.” The doctor set the bag on her desk and pulled out two sandwiches, a large cup of fries, and some sauce packets. “They’re chicken salad. I figured we can eat and go over the plan at the same time. Sound good?”

“Uh yeah, sounds great,” Nicole replied as she started unwrapping her sandwich.

Waverly logged into her computer and was busying her fingers with the keys. She subtly glanced up at the other woman and smiled. Nicole was now grabbing Waverly’s sandwich and unwrapping it too. As the redhead was placing the sandwich in front of Waverly, the brunette’s hand met her halfway. Nicole looked up and connected their eyes, freezing under the beautiful doctor’s touch. Maintaining a smirk, Waverly kept their eyes locked and said, “Thank you.” The brunette could swear that her new patient blushed a little when their hands grazed, and she felt rather giddy about it. Waverly didn’t want to think about what that meant though, so she moved the interaction to the back of her brain and got back to work.

* * *

They went over Nicole’s new training plan, ate, and chatted. Before either of them realized it, it was 2:00 pm. Waverly couldn’t remember the last time hours had gotten away from her like this. She was always very mindful of the time, but it seemed to just slip away with Nicole. It was nice.

“Oh, I didn’t realize the time. I’ve only got a few hours left to train,” Nicole said while gathering up the mess from their lunch. “Is there anything else we need to go over?”

“Nope, that’s everything. Just take it easy, okay?” Waverly’s eyes pleaded with Nicole. The redhead was sure she was like this with all her patients, with everyone probably. The doctor was very caring in the few hours they’d known each other. Waverly handed Nicole a business card and said, “and please call me if you need anything.”

Nicole flashed a dimpled smile and took the card, brushing their fingers against each other like before. “It’s been nice meeting you, Waverly Earp.” After that, she walked out of the office and shut the door behind her. They both smiled widely once out of sight from each other. “I can definitely get used to having her around,” Nicole said as she walked towards the field.


	2. Make Me Feel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole really wants to show Waverly that she is serious about recovery, but her plan is thwarted when a couple old teammates show up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love so far. Sorry it took a little longer to update than I originally planned. This chapter is about the same length and we get more character introductions. The song for this chapter is make me feel by janelle monae. As always, feel free to leave any comments.

Nicole’s phone started going off at 6:00 am and it took a minute before the noise registered to her ears. Without opening her eyes, the redhead slid her arm across the mattress in search of the ringing. After finding the source of her annoyance, she slowly opened her eyes and brushed a thumb across the screen to silence the alarm. Although she really didn’t want to get out of bed, especially at 6:00 in the morning, Nicole forced herself to sit up and carefully maneuver her leg around where her cat, Calamity Jane, was sleeping.

Now upright with feet firmly on the floor, Nicole stretched her arms towards the ceiling and yawned. A few spots in her upper back popped and she rolled her ankles to pop the joints there as well. Finally, she rubbed out her recovering knee, flexed her calves a few times, and stood.

Nicole stomped her way to the bathroom, the heaviness of sleep still on her shoulders. Selecting the rainfall setting on the touch screen control panel inside the shower, she let the water heat up while brushing her teeth. The bathroom started to fill with steam as Nicole peeled off her tank top and shorts, throwing them into the laundry basket. The woman turned to the bathroom door to get a look at herself in the full body mirror. Deep brown eyes lingered on her knee. The scar had healed very well, but it was still a massive line that stretched from a few inches above her kneecap to the bottom. The incision site was a bit pink compared to the rest of Nicole’s skin. It was a constant reminder of what happened six months ago. Just like an anchor, the injury was weighing down her career and she knew it would eventually sink it.

Nicole shook those thoughts from her mind and stepped into the massive stone shower. Water flowed over her entire body from the rainfall shower head above and steam filled the enclosed space. The soccer player had always taken long showers. It was her way of decompressing and it was a place where she could think. Nicole had woken up earlier than normal with the plan on taking one of those long showers to loosen up her muscles and getting to the stadium earlier than Waverly. She wanted to prove that she was serious about her recovery.

After about twenty-five minutes Nicole stepped out of the shower, grabbing a black towel off the rack to the left. She started drying her vibrant red hair, leaving it a slightly damp and tousled mess. Once she dried the rest of her body Nicole hung the towel back up and made her way back to the bedroom. She quickly pulled on some casual workout clothes and headed back to the bathroom to run a brush through her hair. As soon as she was presentable the soccer player walked out of the room and crossed the dining room into the kitchen. She grabbed a premade protein shake from the fridge and then sat at the breakfast bar. Twirling the seat around to look over the edge of the mezzanine level of the apartment to the bottom floor, Nicole absently stared at the living room. It usually had cups scattered throughout, the pillows on the couch disheveled, and the big screen TV left turned on. The room never looked trashed, but you could tell someone lived there. Now, however, the entire loft was very tidy, as if it was set up for viewings by a real estate agent; waiting to be lived in. The only thing missing was a plate of fresh cookies on the living room table.

Nicole downed the rest of her shake, rinsed the cup in the sink, and then headed down the stairs and out the door. Today was the day she would take her life back.

* * *

Once Nicole got to the stadium she headed straight to the locker room to put her bag away. The blinds of the doctor’s office were open, and the room was dark, which meant Waverly wasn’t here yet. Nicole had hoped she wouldn’t be but was worried that 7:30 may not be early enough. She walked out the side of the locker room and into the gym. The medium-sized workout room had a wall of glass looking into the hallway where the employee staircase connected the first and basement floor. The soccer player was thankful for it since she would be able to see when Waverly got in.

After a minimal amount of stretching, Nicole got to work on building her leg muscles back to their previous strength. The hardest part was already over, but her knee still felt weak sometimes. She started with a few easy machines and then moved on to squats, starting to lose herself in the old routine.

Just then, Waverly came down the stairs and noticed Nicole on the other side of the glass. Normally no one was in the gym, so the far-off movement easily caught the doctor’s attention. The redhead was turned away from Waverly’s piercing green eyes. It was alarming how enjoyable it was to watch Nicole work out. Every muscle in her legs was tensed. Her skin was glistening with sweat. The way her back muscles flexed from the weight on her shoulders was reminiscent of Greek statues. Waverly didn’t realize she had stopped breathing until her brain was screaming for oxygen. It wasn’t fair that someone could be so attractive.

Waverly knew she liked women, of course, having dated a few over the years. She should be seeing one of those ex-girlfriends any day now actually. However, this was a relatively intense attraction considering she had only known Nicole for twenty-four hours. It was like being uncontrollably attracted to a celebrity you’d never met before. Waverly guessed it kind of was like that though since Nicole was a celebrity. Oh god, was this her Uma Thurman obsession all over again? She still got a little tingly whenever she watched GATTACA or Kill Bill.

The doctor was shaken from her mental spiral when she noticed Nicole’s leg falter. The redhead was stuck in a half squat and her leg was shaking a little. Without even thinking Waverly ran down the hallway, through the locker room, and into the gym. It only took a minute, but when she arrived Nicole was already sitting on the ground with her legs stretched out. The weight bar was sitting next to her on the floor and she was rubbing at her knee.

“Are you alright?” Waverly asked with obvious concern on her face.

It caused Nicole to jump a little, having not heard anyone come in. “Oh, um I’m fine. Just needed to sit down for a minute,” she replied as she looked up at Waverly, giving her a faintly reassuring smile.

Waverly tried to respond with as much care and conviction as possible. “No, you aren’t, Nicole. Let me help you.” She wanted to let Nicole know she was there and that it was okay to ask for help.

Although Nicole hesitated, she conceded. After a deep sigh, she looked down and said, “it’s just my stupid knee. I was doing squats and on the last rep I wasn’t strong enough to get up.”

Waverly moved to the other side of Nicole then and dropped to the floor to meet her eyes. “You’re in recovery. Not every day is going to be a good one. You should be proud of yourself for working so hard.” Then the brunette grabbed the weight bar as she stood and easily put it back on the bench. Leaning down again, she reached for Nicole, who reluctantly took her hand. “Come on, let’s hit the therapy room. We’ll get your knee feeling better in no time.”

Nicole almost never asked for or accepted help, but she trusted Waverly. Although the soccer player didn’t want to make a habit of relying on anyone, she rationalized that Waverly was her doctor and it was her doctor’s job to treat her. She was going to do whatever treatments and training Waverly told her to do from here on out. However, it was Nicole’s responsibility to see it through. She wasn’t going to put anything on Waverly that wasn’t part of her job.

They started to walk back towards the locker room, Waverly letting Nicole set the pace. Passing the brunette’s office, they entered the physiotherapy room. Nicole sat down on the first bench and Waverly pulled a desk chair from the corner and rolled it over to sit on.

“Okie dokie! Since you did an ice bath yesterday, let’s try something different.” Waverly looked up at Nicole with a big smile, “How about heat therapy?”

Nicole didn’t have the heart to tell her she took a thirty-minute steaming shower that morning already. The only reason her knee had locked up was that she doubled her sets and added two plates to each side of the bar. “Sounds good, Waverly.”

“Awesome sauce!” The doctor started to fumble with her keys as she strolled over to a cabinet. Quickly glancing over her shoulder at Nicole she asked, “You aren’t allergic to coconut, are you?”

“Uh, no. Why?” The redhead looked at Waverly, obvious confusion on her face.

This caused the doctor to giggle. “I’m gonna rub your knee out first, silly. Massage therapy is very beneficial to recovering muscles.” The thought of Waverly massaging her leg freaked Nicole out a little, though she hid it well. Then, Waverly said with such confidence, “and coconut oil is an all-natural lube,” that it seemed obvious that this was the immediate conclusion that Nicole should have come too when originally asked if she was allergic.

Hearing the other woman say lube almost caused Nicole to choke on air, but the soccer player was able to cover it with a fake cough before Waverly noticed. Swallowing hard, Nicole replied, “Cool.” The brunette turned back to the cabinet and Nicole looked down at her hands, unsure what else to say.

Waverly grabbed the coconut oil and walked back over to Nicole, taking a seat in the desk chair and making their eyes level with each other. Putting the oil down and placing and hand on the redhead's knee, Waverly furrowed her brow and asked, “Is it sensitive to touch?”

“The scar is numb, but there’s a kind of a dull pain in my joint. It usually only hurts after I work out though.” Nicole absently ran a hand down her thigh to rub her knee out of habit, fingertips brushing against Waverly’s. The brunette’s hand was a little cold, but Nicole still lets her hand linger for a moment. Glancing downward, she pulled her fingers back into a fist and then looked back up at Waverly.

The doctor met her with kind eyes. “That’s good, Nicole. I would expect that around the six-month mark.” Waverly grabbed the container back off the bench and took a small dab of oil on her finger. After placing a hand on Nicole’s other knee, she said, “it’ll be cold for a minute.” Waverly used her thumb to smooth the oil over the rest of her fingers and then placed the hand on Nicole’s recovering knee. Swiping gentle circles, she slowly increased the pressure.

Waverly started using deep, forceful strokes to loosen the muscles in Nicole’s leg. The soccer player was enamored by the intensity of Waverly’s eyes on her skin. She was almost convinced her knee was heating up from the brunette’s stare rather than friction. The doctor’s hand followed each muscle group up and down and the redhead could feel the tightness in her knee start to ease up. It was cathartic to let go of the pain and Nicole’s whole body started to relax. However, as the pain left her focus and the motions of Waverly’s hand become more apparent, the athlete felt herself tensing up again. Warmth pooled in the bottom of her abdomen, and the more she tried not to think about it the harder it became to not pay attention to the hand getting closer and closer to her center.

Suddenly they heard steps coming from down the hall and then a conversation, “Can you put my bag away? I’m gonna find the doctor.”

“Sure,” another voice replied.

Waverly grabbed a towel from beneath the bench to wipe the oil from her hand, much to Nicole’s relief. Then a dark-haired girl appeared in the entryway and Nicole smiled wide. “Chrissy,” she yelled delightedly while getting up and walking towards the girl. “I didn’t know you would be here this early in the season.” They hugged for a long time, clearly old friends.

“Yeah, since we’re with a local club we can come practice here once or twice a week. Plus, the coach asked us to come to get our physicals out of the way before the poor doctor gets slammed with last minute players coming in right before the tournament.” Chrissy looked over at the doctor and smiled. “Hi, I’m Chrissy,” she said while reaching out a hand.

Waverly met her hand and flashed a warm smile. “Hi, I’m doctor Waverly Earp, but you can just call me Waverly.” They shook hands and then the doctor continued, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were coming in today. I don’t think Coach Dolls put it on the calendar.” Waverly grabbed her iPad from the desk and started to check.

“I’m sure he just forgot, he’s usually pretty busy,” Chrissy assured her.

“I can tell. I haven’t even gotten the chance to meet him yet.” Waverly replied with the slightest bit of irritation evident in her voice.

Just then, another woman emerged into the room. “Don’t worry, Dolls is a hardass, but the assistant coach is great. Plus, when Nedley gets here Dolls won't have to spend so much time in his office. Randy is a softie, you’ll love him.”

“Rosita, you know he hates when you call him Randy,” Chrissy warned.

“Would he prefer Randall?” Rosita asked jokingly. “Oh, come on Chrissy, lighten up. We’ve had Christmas together.”

Waverly looked absolutely dumbfounded and Chrissy, mistaking it for confusion said, “I’m Chrissy Nedley. The assistant coach is my dad.”

Waverly didn’t seem to be paying her any attention though, her eyes still locked on the newest addition to the room. “Hi, Rosie.”

“Hey Waves,” the other woman replied, quickly closing the distance between them with a hug that lasted long enough to pique the interest of Nicole and Chrissy. The two observers shared a glance before the hug broke and Rosita turned to Nicole. “How’s your leg Nic? I haven’t seen you in while.”

“It’s getting better, Waverly is helping,” Nicole replied with a quick smile in the doctor’s direction. Then she and Rosita hugged as well, although not for nearly as long.

“That’s great. You should come over to our apartment soon to hang out now that you’re feeling better.” It was phrased as a suggestion, but Nicole clearly didn’t have a choice.

“We’d love to have you over, it’s been too long,” Chrissy added.

Waverly gathered from the conversation that Nicole had been isolating herself because of the injury. She couldn’t help but feel bad for her. The soccer player didn’t need pity though, she just needed a push. “Why don’t you go start running drills, Nicole? I’ll do Chrissy and Rosita’s physicals and we’ll meet you outside.”

“Sounds good,” the redhead replied. She was out the door a moment later.

The doctor looked at Rosita and Chrissy. “Who wants to go first?”

“Chrissy will,” Rosita answered, almost a little too quickly. The two soccer players exchanged a look. Waverly was oblivious though, having walked toward the desk to grab her med kit.

Waverly promptly got through Chrissy’s checkup and updated the information on her iPad as she went. “Everything looks great, you’re clear for practice,” she said cheerfully.

“Thanks, Waverly. I’ll meet you guys on the field.” Chrissy hopped off the bench and gave Rosita a look that clearly said, ‘don’t think we aren’t talking about this later.’

Now that the pair was alone the tension in the room had grown immensely. Waverly was scrolling through her iPad reviewing Rosita’s file. Knowing that the woman hadn’t reviewed Chrissy’s file and was just trying to delay the inevitable, Rosita broke the silence. “It’s been a long time, Waves.”

She looked up from the iPad, meeting Rosita’s stare. “Ten years.”

“Ten years and eight months, to be exact,” Rosita smirked and took a step towards Waverly.

“You’re such a geek,” Waverly laughed, “sure you don’t know the number of days too?”

“I’m sure I could calculate it pretty fast,” Rosita joked, but there was some seriousness to the statement.

“You always did like numbers,” Waverly added. “Guess that comes with being a science major.”

“I suppose it does.”

They stood there for a minute in silence, taking in the feeling of seeing each other after so long. It was painful to be in front of someone who used to be your everything. There was a kind of nostalgia being around each other. Before when they would walk into a room it was customary for them to kiss and stay close, but now there was this invisible wall. Every year apart was a layer of glass between them, like looking at someone underwater from a great distance.

Waverly broke the silence this time, “sit down and we’ll do your checkup.” Rosita complied instantly, and they began. The doctor asked a few questions and then started with the actual physical. “Lay down please.”

Rosita rested her head against the top of the bench and Waverly started palpating different parts of her abdomen. “I’m really proud of you - no, that doesn’t hurt - for finishing school. I always knew you would.”

“Thank you. I doubted myself for a while, but I got through it,” Waverly replied still focused on the exam. “What about here, does this hurt?”

“That feels fine too.” Rosita was watching Waverly’s expressions closely. When the doctor started to pull her hand away, she grabbed it gently. “Waverly, I’m so sorry for everything-”

“Not now, Rosie,” Waverly’s eyes pleaded, “I can’t.”

Rosita let go of her hand and she sat up. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“It’s okay,” Waverly smiled weakly. “Let’s just go meet everyone on the field.”

They walked out of the physiotherapy room and down the hall. Their hands brushed against each other’s a few times and they both felt a burn on their skin. The familiarity of it was unbelievable. Even after all these years, they both felt the memory of letting their fingers slide into each other’s and intertwine. The tension went untalked about, however, as they emerged onto the green.

Waverly went to sit down on the bench and Rosita joined Chrissy and Nicole on the field. Chrissy loved drama, so she quickly hit Rosita on the arm and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me the Waverly you dated in college was the same one who got hired as the team doctor?”

Nicole almost tripped over the ball, “What?!” The redhead realized she yelled when Waverly looked over at them, so she quietly continued. “You dated Waverly in college?”

Rosita didn’t look at them, keeping her focus on re-lacing her cleats. “Yeah, we were together for about four years.”

Nicole tried very hard to act casual. It definitely did not work, but Chrissy’s excitement kept Rosita from noticing. “So, do you think there’s anything still there,” Chrissy questioned, “are you gonna ask her out?”

“Maybe,” Rosita paused, “I hope so.”

Nicole could feel a heat rising in her chest. The redhead didn’t know why she was so upset at the idea of Waverly and Rosita dating. Maybe it was because she thought she met Waverly first and it was her friend. She was just being protective, that had to be it. Rosita was her friend too though.

“Haught,” Rosita said, snapping in front of Nicole’s face. “Are you still with us?”

“Sorry,” Nicole replied, “just spaced out.”

Chrissy and Rosita gave Nicole a look but accepted it. “Do you wanna practice shots Nic?” Chrissy asked.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Nicole started to walk towards the goal where Jeremy was setting out equipment. The redhead spared a glance in Waverly’s direction and grinned when she saw the brunette looking at her.

Rosita walked past Nicole and said, “I’ll join you guys in a second, I forgot to ask Waverly something.”

Chrissy nudged Nicole’s arm and laughed, “Think she forgot to ask her to coffee?”

“Probably,” Nicole deadpanned. Chrissy could tell her friend was suddenly tense, but let it be and walked in silence to the goal.

Rosita approached Waverly, “So I know that you weren’t expecting me today and aren’t ready to talk about what happened, but I want us to be friends. Do you want to come to the bar with us after training? We’re just grabbing a quick bite and getting a few drinks.”

The doctor was wary for a moment, worrying that drinks might lead to something she wasn’t ready for. Waverly didn’t know what she wanted. But here was Rosita, that same twinkle in her eyes and sincerity in her voice, asking her to come to get drinks with her friends like the first time they met. Maybe it was a sign. “Okay,” she agreed. “Find me in my office after you guys get cleaned up.”

The soccer player smiled, fist pumped, and then ran towards the goal. Waverly couldn’t help but giggle to herself. Rosita’s dorkiness had always made her smile. Her ex was never afraid to show how excited she was to be a part of Waverly’s life. Back when Waverly first started college she hadn’t planned on dating. Rosita was just so different than her high school boyfriend, Champ, that Waverly eventually gave up on her plan to live the single life.

“Do you know Bustillos?” An unknown voice asked from behind Waverly.

The noise caused her to jump. When she turned around her gaze had to move up to meet the eyes of the unexpectedly tall man. She instantly recognized him. “Coach Dolls, it’s nice to finally meet you!” Waverly said as she stood. She reached out a hand, “I’m Waverly, and yes, I know Rosita from college.”

Dolls eyes scanned Waverly, then Rosita’s retreating figure, and moved back to Waverly. It was as if he already knew everything just from one look. It intimidated the doctor a little. “Right. Nice to meet you, Dr. Earp,” he replied. “Sorry for not introducing myself sooner. I was dealing with scheduling and getting ready for the season. I see you got Haught, Nedley, and Bustillos cleared for the pitch.”

“Yep, they are good to go. I’ve been working very closely with Nicole, as requested. Everyone is doing great so far.” Waverly noticed his eyes move to Nicole the same way they did to Rosita before. There must be something she was missing.

“Excellent. Good work Earp. Let me know if you need anything and I will see you around.” Dolls walked toward the locker room, leaving Waverly alone by the bench again.

The doctor stayed till the end of practice, which lasted four hours. Nicole’s knee held steady the entire time and Waverly was thankful for that. She felt that Nicole needed a break from thinking about the injury. Plus, she was worried that if the star had problems in front of her teammates it would be discouraging.

* * *

Waverly had gone back to her office to work on updating files while the soccer players did some physiotherapy and showered. Then around 2:00 pm when the doctor was putting the updated physical files in the cabinet behind her desk there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Waverly called behind her.

Nicole opened the door and asked, “Hey, are you ready to go?”

Waverly turned, “Oh, I was expecting Rosita.”

“Her and Chrissy are almost done getting dressed,” Nicole explained, “figured I’d warn you we’re about to leave.”

“Thanks,” Waverly smiled. “I like knowing things ahead of time. I’m kind of a planner.”

Nicole laughed, “I thought you might be.”


	3. Wanna Be Missed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am too druk to explin this right now. pls have fun ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooooooo. It's been a long time my dudes! I'm gonna list all he bad things that prevented me from writing for long time: brither was in the hspital, i got in a car crash, i lost my jobs my dog alonmst died, other bad things probably. Don't feel bad though, it's all good. I just wanted to explain why this chapter took like 3 months. Anyways the song this time is Wanna Be Missed by Hayley Kiyoko. Also, thank you to Danyel Hubbard and Rachel miller. This chapter wouldn't exist without them. love yall :)

The Pitch

CHAPTER 3

 

The bar was mostly empty, save a couple of people who looked like permanent fixtures. The unintentional dim lighting from bulbs that should have been replaced ages ago and worn down booths reminded Waverly of a place back home. She smiled fondly at the memory.

 

“That’s a nice change from the face you were making on the drive over here,” Nicole said as she arrived back at the corner booth with a couple of drinks.

 

“I was not making a face,” Waverly insisted. “How would you know anyways? Your eyes should’ve been on the road.”

 

“Are you kidding? Your constipated face was way too distracting. I couldn't look away.”

 

Waverly reached across the table to slap Nicole lightly on the arm. “Shut up! I did not look constipated,” she shouted causing them both to break out in laughter and earning them the glares of a few patrons. Nicole quickly grabbed her drink and exaggerated her attempt to look casual, inducing another giggle from Waverly.

 

They smiled at each other for a little longer than necessary before Nicole broke the moment. “Seriously, whatever was wrong, I’m glad your okay now.” She flashed a sincere smile that made Waverly want to break herself open.

 

Waverly looked down and started thumbing the condensation that was burgeoning on her glass. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to talk about this, but there was something about Nicole that made her feel safe. “It’s just,” Waverly started, then fell silent again. The redhead placed a hand over Waverly’s and gave it a reassuring squeeze. As she looked up into chocolate brown eyes, Waverly found her courage again. “Rosita and I have a history,” she continued. As much as Nicole didn’t want to hear about this she could tell that Waverly needed to talk, so she squeezed her hand again to let the other girl know she was listening. “I obviously knew she was on the team. I just wasn’t expecting her today. I don’t know how I feel,” Waverly finished with an exasperated sigh. She pulled her hands back and let her face fall into them with frustration.

 

Nicole’s hand followed Waverly’s like a magnet, gently wrapping around the brunette’s wrist. She traced soothing circular patterns with her thumb and ducked her head a little to get Waverly to meet her eyes. “Hey, look at me.” She waited till Waverly lifted her head, “you don’t have to know how you feel yet. Anyone who is worth your time will give you space to figure it out. You are worth waiting for, Waverly.” Nicole was surprised at the truth of her own words, she would wait a lifetime for someone like Waverly Earp.

 

The last thing Nicole said caught Waverly off guard as well. No one had been that kind to her in a long time. She flipped her hand over, pressing her palm against Nicole’s. They both smiled at each other as heat spread from their joined hands to the rest of their bodies.

 

Chrissy came to the table causing Waverly and Nicole to both pull away, a light blush dusting their cheeks. “Hey guys, we won the pool table,” she said glancing between the girls in the booth. “Ready to get your asses handed to ya?”

 

Waverly stood, narrowing her eyes at Chrissy, “we’ll see about that.” As Waverly sauntered off toward the pool table Nicole followed her with her eyes. She audibly gulped and then grabbed her drink from the table and downed it.

 

“Hey red,” Chrissy said with a knowing smile. “If you want to get the girl you should probably slow down. You’re kind of a lightweight. Plus you’re driving.”

 

“I’m not trying to get the girl,” Nicole defended. “It wouldn’t matter if I was anyways. Her and Rosita have 'history'."

The word felt like a punch to the gut even when she said it.

 

“Oh sweetie, me and tequila have history too. That’s why I don’t drink it anymore.” Chrissy winked at Nicole, making her smile. “Now come on, you can’t win her over if you don’t talk to her.” Chrissy dragged Nicole out of the booth and started pulling her toward the pool table.

 

As the two of them joined the other girls Waverly cut off the conversation she was having and asked, “who’s team am I on?”

 

“Mine,” Nicole and Rosita answered in unison. They both looked at each other and then Waverly, waiting for her to choose.

 

“Actually,” Chrissy interjected, “it’s not really fair if Rosita and I are on the same team and Nicole is terrible at pool, so I think Waverly should be on my team.” She moved to the other side of the table and put her arm around the other woman. “What do you say Waves? Wanna be partners?”

 

“Yes,” Waverly beamed, relief obvious on her face. “I would love that.” Chrissy smiled at her and Waverly reached up to squeeze the hand around her shoulders as a silent thank you.

 

Chrissy looked over to where Nicole and Rosita were standing awkwardly. “Rosie, why don’t you go get us another round. I’ll rack.”

 

“You? Offering to rack,” Rosita mused. “I’m definitely not saying no to that,” she said already strolling off to the bar.

 

Nicole looked at Chrissy and Waverly. She couldn't decide is there was less or more tension now, so she left to grab a stick. Chrissy immediately turned toward Waverly and gestured to the wall, “can you grab us a couple pool cues while I rack?”

 

“I’m on it!” Waverly skipped over to where Nicole was standing. When the redhead started to pull a stick from the wall Waverly placed her hand over Nicole’s. “You should use a longer pool stick since you’re so tall,” she said as she moved both their hands to a longer pole. As Waverly’s hand dropped Nicole turned around to face her, their bodies in closer proximity than she had expected. Waverly didn’t realize how brazen she was being until Nicole’s hot breath hit her cheek.

 

“Thank you,” Nicole managed to say around the lump in her throat.

 

Waverly reached around her to grab two sticks. “Well, if I’m gonna beat you I figure you should have a fighting chance.” She flipped around and started back towards the table, leaving Nicole dumbfounded and, if she was being honest with herself, a little turned on.

 

Chrissy, Waverly, and Nicole were all at the table chalking their pool cues when Rosita returned with drinks. She instantly started whispering about strategy with Nicole. Competitiveness was something Waverly and her ex always had in common.

 

Now that Nicole and Rosita were distracted Chrissy leaned close to Waverly and whispered, “she’s single you know.”

 

Waverly tensed a little. She hoped she hadn’t been staring at Rosita. “I don’t really know if I want to get back together,” she admitted to herself and Chrissy.

 

The other girl just smiled. “I’m talking about Nicole,” she said with a wink, causing Waverly to blush. Chrissy then directed her attention to the competition, “are you losers ready?”

 

“You’re the one that’s gonna lose,” Rosita challenged.

 

Approximately three games and six drinks later Rosita threw her pool cue down on the table. “That’s it! I cannot lose another game. I’ll literally go insane.”

 

Chrissy moved around the table and wrapped Rosita in a hug. “Come on sweetie, you need something to eat.” They walked towards the bar together leaving Waverly and Nicole at the table. Both girls suspected she did it on purpose, but neither knew that the other knew.

 

Nicole rubbed the back of her neck and broke the silence. “So I’m pretty terrible at pool,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

 

Waverly had spent the entire three games thinking about what Chrissy had said. A few more drinks made it even easier to be bold. “I can show you.”

 

“What,” Nicole stammered.

 

Waverly grabbed the cue ball and dragged it as she walked around the table to Nicole, placing it in the opposite corner from a solid that never made it in. “Aim for that one,” she said with a pointed finger.

 

Nicole complied, a little nervous with Waverly’s eyes on her so intently. Suddenly Waverly was behind her and placing her hands over Nicole’s on the cue. Nicole’s body responded immediately and leaned into the touch. It was like the world stopped turning and the only noise left was their unsteady heartbeats. At least till the sound of a glass shattering made Waverly jump back, popping their little bubble.

 

A dishwasher stuck his head out from the kitchen to apologize to the scarce population inside the bar. Just in time it seemed, as Chrissy and Rosita came back over with two plates of nachos. They all headed to the corner booth that Waverly and Nicole were sat in before. Much to Nicole’s relief, Rosita sat down first and Chrissy slid in next to her, meaning she could sit next to Waverly. She wanted any excuse to stay close after the few brief encounters of their skin.

 

Waverly wasn’t sure why she was being so forward. During her late night freakout the day before she had decided that even though Nicole was cute, she needed to be professional. It was unethical to date patients. Was Nicole really a patient though? She was more like a coworker. Waverly knew she should not be trying to justify this, but it was true.

 

“Waves, are you gonna eat any of this,” Chrissy asked, pulling the brunette from her inner spiral.

 

“Yeah, sorry.” Waverly chuckled and grabbed a chip drenched in queso and chili from the plate in front of her. She quickly popped it in her mouth and gave everyone a tight-lipped smile. Chrissy seemed convinced, but Waverly could feel Nicole and Rosita’s eyes burning holes through her mask. She didn’t dare look, but suddenly there was a hand low on her thigh. It gave her a reassuring squeeze and then disappeared. After a few slow seconds Waverly looked at Nicole, who met her with that stupid dimpled grin. Waverly desperately wished she could hate that grin.

 

Meanwhile, Rosita was too drunk to stay focused on anything for long and quickly lost herself in the nachos again. Hitting the bottom of the plate sobered her up quite a bit. However, she clearly didn’t want to stay that way because she immediately offered to buy another round. Her and Chrissy were off to the bar almost immediately.

 

As they walked away Waverly realized she was being selfish. If she was conflicted and hurt then Rosita probably was too. Her ex-girlfriend only ever drank excessively when she was upset about something. Sure Rosita may have had a little more warning than Waverly about today in particular, but that didn’t make things any less hard. Rosita had been playing for the National Team for a few years and out of the blue had received an email saying that her ex-girlfriend would be joining the crew. It must have been a lot deal with and Waverly wasn’t even sure when Rosita had heard. It may have only been a couple weeks ago. That was nothing compared to ten years of silence or the four years they loved each other.

 

Waverly had wanted to leave Purgatory for as long as she could remember. When she was little the town took damned near everything from her. Momma left before she could walk and a fire destroyed the homestead with daddy and Willa still in it. Waverly and Wynonna were the only Earp’s left. When she learned about the Roman Catholic Church in history class, she was sure her hometown was exactly what they had in mind for Purgatory. Although Waverly wasn’t sure what sins she committed to be trapped there, she just wanted to do her time and move on.

 

Both Earp girls were extremely grateful that their Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis took them in, but the tragedy affected them quite differently. Waverly was only ten years old and threw herself into school even more. She joined extracurriculars and did volunteer work. Wynonna on the other hand was thirteen and her grief mixed with teenage rebellion. However, after she was arrested once for vandalism and the threat of having Waverly removed from her life was given, Wynonna straightened out. She joined the soccer team at Gus’s insistence that she needed an outlet and fell in love with the game.

 

By the time Wynonna was in her Junior and Senior years, Waverly’s Freshman and Sophomore years respectively, she was one of the top-ranked high school players in Calgary. Wynonna even got a scholarship to play at the University of Toronto and everyone was beyond proud.

 

Waverly really missed Wynonna the first year she was away, but she was so busy that they hardly talked. The younger girl had become captain of the cheer squad and started dating the quarterback early on during her junior year. Wynonna had her own stuff going on as well. College was hard and she had to train even more than she already did if she wanted to get anywhere near the field. When the girls did talk it wasn’t for very long except when Wynonna was home for holidays. Even that time was mostly spent with Waverly helping Wynonna with her studies.

 

Once summer rolled around and Wynonna was home on a semi-permanent basis they spent as much time as they could together. They even worked at the same local bar to save money for the future. Everything had finally been looking up for the Earp sisters. They were gonna go to the same college, eventually get an apartment, and figure out everything as a team.

 

Neither of them should have been surprised when their plan didn’t work out, but they were. A little into Waverly’s last year of high school things were still going well. Waverly was the top of her class academically and socially. Wynonna had learned to manage her classes better and even made a friend that was new to the soccer team, a freshman named Rosita.

 

Waverly met Rosita when she went to visit Toronto in early December. The team had made it to the Division 1 Championships and Wynonna was a starting forward. When her sister was late to meet Waverly at the college bar all the students favored a cute brunette approached her. She sat down and started talking to Waverly, making the girl relax instantly in the unfamiliar environment. Waverly soon discovered that the girl was her sister’s friend Rosita and joined her and some other girls for drinks. They hit it off and probably would have talked more at the time if not for the events of the next day.

 

About halfway into the championship game the team was exhausted. Every attempt at a goal that Wynonna and Rosita made was thwarted. After another reversal the Toronto Varsity Blues made their way towards the other teams goal. A midfielder made a long pass to Rosita and just as she was about to get boxed in she passed it back to them. The midfielder made quick kick to Wynonna, who was open to the right, but then a defender came out of nowhere to steal the ball. Cleats smacked together and Wynonna twisted backwards onto the green. The entire stadium went silent as the sound of snapping bone echoed.

 

Wynonna rose from the ground abruptly, shock flooding her system. The bone in her right leg was exposed and upon looking down at the blood and gore Wynonna hit the ground again. She opened her eyes a few times, seeing flashes of Waverly, Rosita, and some people she didn’t know. When she finally woke up it was after surgery to repair the break. Wynonna took the whole thing exceptionally hard. She blamed herself for the team losing even though Rosita assured her that the other player had fouled her.

 

Waverly had to return to school because she still had a few weeks before Christmas break, but Rosita had promised to come see Wynonna every day and Gus flew out for awhile too. By the time break rolled around Wynonna was released from the hospital and had returned to Purgatory. She started physical therapy, but her attitude never got better and hindered her recovery. Waverly took the first week back to school off to come to appointments with her, trying to encourage her sister the best she could, but Wynonna just kept getting frustrated. She slowly stopped doing the exercises the physical therapist gave her to do at home and only ever participated when Waverly went to her weekend appointments. Once the required time was up Wynonna quit therapy. She told Waverly and Gus that she was done with soccer and college. It broke both of their hearts, but Wynonna was struggling so much that they didn’t want to protest.

 

The rest of the school year was bleak. Waverly was glad to have Wynonna around, but it wasn’t the same anymore. After her sister ran out of pain pills Waverly noticed that she had a slight limp. Wynonna was hurting and didn’t feel like she could tell anyone. It had Waverly worried. She even dumped Champ when he was an insensitive ass about the situation after Waverly tried to tell him she didn’t feel like making out. She supposed that was a good thing though since she was gonna break up with him before college anyways. Waverly wanted all her focus to be on school and she didn’t need him as a distraction.

 

Graduation came quicker than anyone thought it would. Luckily, Waverly had sent in college applications long before Wynonna’s injury and got an early admissions letter from Toronto in January. The experience with Wynonna made her choice in major easy. Now Waverly just had to work through the summer and hopefully convince Wynonna to go with her in the fall.

 

Things didn’t go as planned, however. The day after graduation Wynonna packed her bag and left. Waverly was heartbroken, but she understood. They both had to leave and after everything that happened, it couldn’t be together. The sisters needed to find their own way.

 

Wynonna went to Toronto first and stayed with Rosita for a few weeks. Then she went to Europe. She emailed Waverly every time she moved to a new place though and even sent her a small gift before she started college.

 

The University of Toronto was everything Waverly wanted it to be. She had gotten through her first week of classes and loved them all. She was so excited that she even let her roommate Stephanie talk her into going to the bar. The place was packed, so Waverly was surprised when she approached the bar with her head down that the bartender was immediately in front of her. Then a giant smile spread across her face as she realized it was Rosita. The hug was a bit awkward over the bar, but it was the first time Waverly’s shoulders released their tension in months.

 

Rosita told Waverly that she normally didn’t work weekends because of soccer, but if Waverly stopped by Monday or Wednesday nights she would definitely be there. Being with Rosita made Waverly feel like she had some small piece of Wynonna with her. She felt safe. First Waverly started going Monday nights. The bar wasn’t ever busy, so she would sit next to the taps and talk with Rosita for a few hours. After a couple weeks she started going on Wednesday nights too. The girls also realized they were in one class together, but never noticed each other because there were a couple hundred students in it. Eventually they were hanging out all over campus, sitting together in class, and showing up at each others jobs to distract each other on slow days.

 

Waverly went to Rosita’s first home game. The team won with a huge lead, Rosita scoring four goals. She quickly ran to Waverly and wrapped her in a deep hug. Waverly had never seen the other girl so happy. The smile on Rosita’s face made warmth spread through her chest. As Waverly took a small step back and put her hands on Rosita’s firm arms the warmth in her moved downwards and pooled low in her stomach. She was immediately distracted from the thought when Rosita hugged her again and told her she was glad Waverly came but she needed to shower.

 

Waverly sat on the bleachers long enough that she was the last person there. She spent a little over thirty minutes thinking about her sudden feelings towards Rosita. They had grown close extremely fast. It wasn’t the first time Waverly had feelings for a girl, but it was the first time she had feelings for a girl she actually knew. Rosita wasn’t an actress or pretty girl she was too scared to talk to. Rosita was her friend. Waverly had to think about it somewhere else however, due to the lights on the field going out.

 

As she speedily made her way out of the stadium Waverly ran into someone rounding the corner. When she looked up to apologize she realized it was Rosita. They both wrapped their hands around each other’s forearms to brace themselves from the unexpected collision.

 

Waverly exhaled.

  
  
  


Waverly’s eyes moved down to Rosita’s lips. When she glanced back up she saw Rosita’s pupils grow dark. Waverly didn’t think. She surged forward and caught Rosita’s lips with her own. Waverly pushed the other girl against the wall and slid her tongue across her bottom lip for permission. Rosita’s lip parted immediately and soon enough they were grasping at each other desperately till they had to pull apart and catch their breath. They rested their foreheads together, hot breath mixing between them.

 

The next two years went by rather quickly. Things with Rosita were easy. She was nothing like Champ, who wanted Waverly to focus more on him than academics. Waverly wanted to graduate in three years so she could start med school as soon as possible, so Rosita encouraged her to take extra classes and to study over the summer. Even though it meant they had to try extra hard to make time for each other, Rosita said it was worth it. She wanted whatever Waverly wanted and helped her accomplish it. Everything in Waverly's life was good.

 

It didn't last.

 

A few days before Waverly and Rosita were supposed to go to Gus’s for Thanksgiving something terrible happened. Her Aunt called and told her that Uncle Curtis had a heart attack and died. Waverly shut down immediately and was barely able to tell Rosita what happened. The minute she did, however, her girlfriend took care of her.

 

Rosita held her all night. She called the library to let them know there was a death in Waverly's family so she would need a few more days after the break before going back to work. She packed for Waverly. She took care of everything at the airport. Most importantly though, she talked to Wynonna and bought her a plane ticket to Purgatory.

 

Rosita was Waverly’s anchor when it felt like she would float away. When they arrived at the airport and Waverly saw Gus and Wynonna waiting for her she almost started crying again. She would have if she had anything left.

 

Later that night she curled into Rosita’s side. For the first time since the phone call, she felt like everything would be okay.

 

Things got better. They visited again at Christmas. Again Rosita got Waverly the best gift she could ask for: Wynonna was there.

 

As graduation for both of them approached everything was good again. Her Uncle Curtis's death still weighed on her, but Waverly was happy. Being with Rosita and getting accepted by Johns Hopkins took off enough pressure that Waverly could breathe. She also had to admit she was excited to finally have an entire summer off with her girlfriend. It almost didn't feel right to be happy, but Waverly knew Curtis would want that for her.

 

“Hey. Can we talk,” Rosita asked, pulling Waverly out of her daze.

 

“Of course.”

 

Waverly stood up from the booth. She spared a quick glance at Nicole, who seemed concerned. She wondered how long she had been staring off into space and thinking about the past. Waverly then looked to Chrissy, who gave her a reassuring smile. After a deep breath, she followed Rosita to a small nook in another corner of the bar.

 

“Waverly, I’m so sorry,” Rosita uttered after turning around suddenly. “Please. Just give me five minutes.”

 

“I think you deserve more than that.” Waverly gestured to a table and they both sat down.

 

“Thank you,” Rosita replied. She set her hand on top of Waverly’s on the table. There was comfort and familiarity in it, but she just gave Waverly a quick squeeze before pulling away. “I didn’t know you were going to be here till about a month ago. I thought about emailing you, but I never could bring myself to do it.”

 

“I thought about reaching out to you too. I didn’t know how to. Nothing felt right.”

 

“Yeah. It still doesn’t feel right. It’s like everything is the same, but it isn’t. I’m sorry, Waves. That last year… It was awful. I was awful-”

 

“Rosie, don’t.” Waverly grabbed her hand. “It was both of us. I didn’t make any time for us after I started med school. You were right to think I was pulling away.”

 

“I still shouldn’t have done what I did, Waves. You didn’t deserve that.”

 

“You’re right. I didn’t deserve it. But honestly Rosie, I was looking for any excuse to make you leave. I loved you, but it wasn’t enough.”

 

“I know.”

 

Nicole relentlessly tapped her fingers on the table. She kept turning her head to see if Waverly and Rosita were returning. She swung her head around for the fifth time just as Chrissy walked out of the bathroom. Nicole silently cursed herself at having been caught and awaited her friends chastising. She hated how Chrissy always seemed to know everything.

 

“Hey red, you doing alright?” Chrissy sat down directly next to Nicole.

 

“Yeah, I’m good,” Nicole lied. It was no use lying to Chrissy, but Nicole had a habit of keeping her feelings to herself. Chrissy didn’t put up with any bullshit, but she had a way of being there for people without prying.

 

“You shouldn’t worry so much Nicole. Something tells me you don’t need to.” Chrissy wrapped an arm around her friend. “You’re kind of an idiot, you know that?”

 

“Only sometimes,” Nicole defended.

 

“That isn’t a good argument, sweetie.”

 

“Are you guys ready to go,” Rosita asked as she walked up behind them.

 

Chrissy and Nicole both looked up. “Yeah, I’m ready,” Chrissy answered. “Where’s Waverly?”

 

“She went to the bathroom. She should be out in a minute, but we can go Chrissy. Waverly is riding with Nicole anyways,” Rosita said looking at Nicole.

 

“Okay.” Chrissy looked between the two girls. “I’m gonna go pay the tab.” Nicole panicked a little. Was it possible that Rosita knew she liked Waverly?

 

“Hey, Nicole. Waves and I had a pretty intense conversation. Can you make sure she’s alright?”

 

The redhead sighed in relief. “Yeah, Rosita. I can do that.”

 

Rosita thanked her and then headed towards the door where Chrissy was waiting. They both waved and left, leaving Nicole alone. She stood and started heading towards the bathroom. Just as Nicole got to the door Waverly came out. They nearly ran into each other and Nicole noticed Waverly’s eyes were red and slightly puffy.

 

“Waves, are you okay?” Nicole promptly pulled her into a hug. As much as Waverly wanted to break down in Nicole’s arms, to just let everything go, she stopped herself.

 

After a minute of silence, Waverly finally found the strength to respond. “I’m fine,” she paused, “today was just really heavy.”

 

Nicole pulled back to look into the brunette’s eyes and smiled. “I might kinda get that.” 

 

That dimple really killed Waverly. She could kiss Nicole right now, but it didn’t feel right. She had been struggling with her feelings towards Rosita. To be honest she was struggling with her feelings about herself and what happened between them. 

 

Nicole must have sensed it. “Come on, Waves. I’ll drive you home. Where do you live?”

 

“You don’t have to do that, Nicole. You can just drive me back to the stadium and I’ll get my car.”

 

“It really isn’t a big deal. It’s getting late. We both had long days. Plus we work at the same place, so I can just take you to work in the morning.”

 

“Okay,” Waverly agreed. For whatever reason, she felt safe with Nicole. Truthfully, it scared her. Everyone she cared about left. One way or another. Waverly knew that if she started to let herself care about Nicole she would leave too. Momma left her first and ever since then no one stayed in her life permanently except Gus. Even Wynonna had gone for awhile. She had a feeling, deep in her gut, that Nicole could hurt her more than anyone ever had and that was terrifying.


End file.
